Chain-clamp.



C. F. SMITH & J. ROBERTSON.

CHAIN CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 22. 1915.

Patented July 6, 1915.

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WIT/VESSES COLUMBIA PLANOHRAPI? 1:9.,wAsHINuTON. DQC

nur vsunrise rairnivr revien CHARLES FRANCIS SMITH AND JOI-IN ROBERTSON, OF DU'TGHESS JUNCTION, NEW YORK.

CHAIN-CLAMP.'

Lilitt.

Application filed January 2,7-, 1915.

To all fui/wm t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES FRANCIS SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and JOHN ROBERTSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and both residents of Dutchess Junction, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and mproved Chain-Clamp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

r`llhis invention relates to hand operated implements, and has particular reference to a lever operated device for drawing together parts of a chain for connecting them or for operating upon wires, cables or other parts which are to be drawn toward each other forcibly.

Among the objects of this invention is to simplify and generally improve the class of devices described and claimed in our previous Patent, No. 1,051,771.

Among the principal improvements included in this invention, distinguishing it favorably from the previous device, is the provision of means for` throwing the locking pawl out of engaging position and so mailntaining it during the extension of the device.

Another specific improvement relates to a pivoted shoe or means associated with the main lever serving to prevent the locking or dragging action between it and the rack bar which is intended to be slipped bodily through or along said lever when the device is being extended preliminary to the forcible operation of the device.

rllhe foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which lilre characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the implement to separated ends of a chain and indicating the manner of use thereof for the fpurpose of drawing said chain ends together, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the operating lever and parts associated therewith, and indicating in full and dotted lines the change in position of such parts; Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of the end of the clamp re- Arote from the lever, certain parts being in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. e is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3'.

Specication of Letters Patent.

raten-'teu nity c, mit,

Serial N0. 4,688.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the rela* tive sizes and proportions, as well as the gen eral design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forthA and specifically claimed.

l-eferring more particularly to the drawings we sho-w a pair of substantially parallel straight bars 10 and 11. These ba-rs lie comparatively close to each other in the same plane and are adapted to be reciprocated in said plane one over the other longitudinally in either direction, or, in other words, these bars are adapted to be lgiven step-by-step reciprocation in alternation one with respect to the other. As in the previous patent, each of the bars is provided at its free end with a downwardly and inwardly projecting hook which is typical of any suitable Vmeans for attaching a device to be manipulated by the implement.

rfhe main lever 12 is provided with a. fork 13 which loosely straddles the bar 1l and is pivotally vconnected at la to` the inner end of the bar 10. The fork 13, therefore, constitutes a guide for the free end of the bar 11 during its reciprocations with relation to the bar 10.

At 15 we show a Vclevis of substantially U-shape in cross section, the same being connected by rivets or the like 16 adjacent the inner end `of the bar 11 and embracing the bar 10. rfhe clevis, therefore, constitutes a guide controlling the sliding or reciprocating movements of thebar 10 with relation tothe other bar. Either of the bars `may be provided with a pin or other stop means adapted to coperate with the guide connected to the other bar for the purpose of limiting the outward extension of the two bars. For this purpose we show a pin 17 eX- tending into or through the bar 11 which, at the maximum extension of the device, will impinge against the guide or fork 18. The contracting or shortening action of the device will be limited positively by coperation between the shoulder 18 of the bar 10 and the projection 19 of the other bar. No trouble or annoyance, therefore, can result due to the carelessness in the operation of one bar longitudinally with respect to the other in either direction.

At 2O we provide a pawl `pivoted at 21 to the actuating lever and having a tooth en gageable with any of the ratchet teeth 22 formed on the bar 11. This pawl 20 is act'- ed upon by means of a pair of coil springs 23 wound around the pivot 21, one end of each of said springs being connected to a pin 24: on the side of the fork 13 and the other end of each spring is connected to a pin 25 securedto the side of the pawl 20. The normal tendency of the springs 23 is to straighten the pawl 2O into alinement with the axis of the lever 12, and hence, when the i lever is moved forwardly in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 1, the springs 23 will tend to throw it in the opposite direction, causing the pawl 20 to ride loosely over the teeth 22. This action of the springs will insure the prompt engagement between the pawl 20 and the teeth 22 when the lever 12 is moved in the positive or actuating direction. When, however, the lever 12 is thrown rearwardly to the maximum extent, as shown in the dotted and dashlines of Fig. 2, a pin 26 will lift the pawl out of the path of the teeth 22 leaving the bar 11 free to be moved freely along the guide or fork 13.

At 27 we show a novel form of shoe having a substantially flat lower surface and Apivotedv intermediate its ends on the pivot 21 aforesaid in the fork 13 and above the bar 11. The space between the shoe 27 and the rack bar 11 is suiiicient under ordinary conditions to permit the desired operation of the implement, but when the lever 12 is thrown rearwardly to its maximum extent, said shoe will prevent any part of the lever 12 from catching or binding upon the bar 11 and thereby interfering with its free movement.

A locking pawl 29 is pivoted at 30 on the end of the bar 11 opposite the lever 12.

This locking pawl extends inwardly toward the lever 12 and is adapted to cooperate during the operation of the implement with teeth 31 formed on the bar 10. This pawl, irrespective of the position of the implemen-t or direction in which the lever 12 may be extended for operation, is forced toward the teeth 31 by means of a lat spring 32 connected in this instance at one end to the end of the bar 11 at the point 33 close to the includes a finger 34. pivoted on a pivot 35 extending into one vside of the clevis, and that portion of the linger opposite the pivot constitutes a yoke 36 with which cooperates a cam 37. The cam 37 is pivoted eccentrically on a pivot 38 and is adapted to be rotated around said pivot through an angle of approximately 200 degrees. The cam 37 is substantially circular where it fits in the yoke 36 and hence the rotation of the cam causes the finger 34C to swing around its pivot 35 far enough in one direction to lift the pawl 29 out of action, and the cani moves far enough in this connection for its crest to pass the dead center, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thereby positively lock the finger 31 in position to hold the pawl out of action against the tension of its spring 32. The cam 37 is rotated by a iinger piece 39, and a spring l0 acting between the head of` the pivot 38 and the cam 37 serves to prevent rattling or too free movement thereof.

With the chains or other parts to be drawn toward each other connected in any suitable manner to the hooks at the outer ends of the bars 10 and 11, and with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1, an oscillatory movement given to the lever 12, the forward direction will cause the hooks to approach each other, the bar 11 moving longitudinally over the other relatively due to the engagement of the pawl 20 with a, tooth 22 and causing the pawl 29 to ride loosely over the teeth 3l. While the lever 12 is oscillated in the opposite direction, the pawl 29 is etlbetive to hold the parts in the position to which they have been previously brought and permitting a succeeding oscillation of the lever 12 to again advance the hooks toward each other. llVhen it is desired to separate the hooks or to set the racks free for independent rcciprocation, the operator will turn the cam in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, causing the linger 3-1 to be swung upwardly, lifting the pawl 29 and holding it out of action as above described. The cam will remain in this position, holding the inger in locking position until reversely rotated. When the pawl 29 is held out of action and the lever 12 drawn backward, the bar 11 may be pushed freely through the guide 13, causin r one hook to be separated as far as desire from the other. By means of the devices herein set forth, the implement is adapted practically for a one hand operation, being much more convenient for its several functions than devices heretofore proposed.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of toothed bars adapted to reciprocate longitudinally one along the other, a pair of pawls coperating with the two bars, and a lever serving to actuate said bars to cause them to move toward each other along parallel lines, of a guide secured to one of the bars and surrounding the other bar adjacent one of the pawls, a finger pivoted to the guide, and a rotary device pivoted to the guide and serving to cause the rotation of the finger for lifting the adjacent pawl out of action.

2. The combination of a pair of bars movable relatively to each other in parallel lines, a lever and pawl to cause such movement, a locking pawl pivoted to one bar and coperating with teeth on the other bar serving to hold the bars in the position to which kthey may be forced by the action of the lever and pawl, means tending to hold the locking pawl in locking position, a finger, and a rotary cam co-acting with the finger and serving to cause the finger to lift the pawl and hold it out of locking position.

3. The combination of two relatively movable parallel members, one of said members having teeth, a pawl pivoted to the member opposite the teeth and coperating with said teeth, a clevis secured to one of said members and extending thence around the other forming a guide, a finger pivoted to said clevis adjacent the pawl, the end of the finger remote from the pawl constituting a yoke, a rotary member fitted in said yoke and pivoted eccentrically to the clevis, and means to rotate the cam, causing the finger to lift and hold the pawl out of cooperation with said teeth.

fl. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a reciprocating member, a pawl pivoted thereto, a toothed bar parallel to said reciprocating member, said pawl cooperating with the teeth of said bar, a clevis connected to the member having the pawl and surrounding the bar constituting a guide therefor, a spring anchored to the member adjacent the pivot of the pawl and acting normally upon the pawl, forcing it into cooperation with the bar, a finger pivoted to the clevis adjacent the pawl, and

means coperating with the finger to swing it on its pivot and lock it in position to hold the pawl out of action against the tension of its spring.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a pair of parallel toothed bars, a lever having a fork spanning one of the bars and pivoted to the other bar, a pawl pivoted to the lever adjacent the fork, a spring acting upon the pawl forcing it toward the bar spanned by the fork, and a pin 26 carried by the fork and serving to lift the pawl away from the bar when the lever is thrown in one direction.

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of two parallel relatively movable bars, each having ratchet teeth, an actuating lever having a fork spanning one of the bars and pivoted to the other bar, said fork constituting a guide for the spanned bar, means extending between the two bars at their ends remote from the lever serving to control their relative movements, a pawl connected to the lever and coperating directly with one of said bars to move it along the other bar, and a shoe pivoted within the fork and slightly spaced from the teeth of the bar guided therein, said shoe coperating with the bar, however, when the lever is thrown to maximum extent serving to prevent interlocking between the lever and the bar.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES FRANCIS SMITH. JOHN ROBERTSON.

Witnesses:

Gmo. L. BEELER, PHiLrr D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

